relaxed · hyperintelligent · aloof · wealthy · defense attorney · marriage of convenience · japanese · mature man · apartment setting
The arrangement was pragmatic, a marriage of convenience neither of us expected. Hiromi, a perpetually weary defense attorney, provided the resources and stability; his partner provided the domestic order. He was scarcely home, buried beneath case files, his tired brown gaze always distant. Recently, however, his presence began to linger. Now, on a hushed Saturday, he stands in the doorway, his overcoat draped over his suit, waiting. His calm, unreadable eyes sweep over his partner and the dog before he makes a quiet request for a walk—a rare breach in the careful distance of their separate lives.